The foundation was started to provide disaster relief for both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

“I had 200 mph wind-tested windows throughout my house, and every window in the house just blew out, so these people were really scared,” Chesney told HLN (via CMT) regarding the 20 or so people and their pets that he welcomed into his home in St. John, although he wasn’t there at the time. “They found more shelter in a big closet and were in that closet for a long time, and they made it. Luckily, a lot of people made it.”

“These communities are facing an uphill battle. And they’re facing years of cleanup. So many people are displaced,” Chesney continued. “And, yes, we will rebuild, and we will recover. And the people I know there, and the people I’ve grown to love, they’re really hard workers. And they’ve got great hearts, and it’s hard to rock them even with a hurricane of this size. That’s the thing I’m most proud of is my island family has a lot of heart, we’re going to recover … but it’s going to take a lot of help.”